May 2005

New Technology Saves Energy In Freeport, For Freeport

Intellidyne Energy Saving Products are the latest innovation brought by Freeport Electric to both Freeport businesses and residents as well as to Village operations. The Electric Department, in cooperation with Intellidyne, is offering a series of energy saving products for our businesses and residents with central air conditioning, refrigeration or heating systems. These new products are energy savings devices, which utilize a "smart" microcomputer and can easily be installed on central air systems and commercial refrigeration units. The IntelliCon devices, as they are called, reduces energy consumption by analyzing the demands and operating characteristics of the entire heating, air conditioning, or refrigeration system and then dynamically modifies the burner or compressor cycle pattern. The microcomputer then creates new operating patterns that are less frequent and more efficient energy cycles. Unlike other products such as programmable thermostats, IntelliCon is truly a "smart" product that does not require any programming by the user and automatically compensates for load and seasonal changes.

Freeport Electric has actually installed one of the IntelliCon products on its steam boiler, which is used to heat the "jacket water" on the diesel generators. This installation was used as a test site and all data is being tracked on an hourly basis. Initial indications are that the Utility is reducing gas consumption by 17% using this product. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the Village and Intellidyne, together, have just completed witnessing a series of tests in the unit installed in our boiler. The official results of those tests will be released in the next few months, however initial indications are that the results are as good if not better than before.

In addition to the information flyer already sent to all residents, further information can be found on our website at Energy Products If you have any questions regarding Intellidyne products, please call Lester Endo, Jr., Supervisor of Electric Services, at 377-2235.

Energy Tip

Make sure your air conditioner is the proper size for the area you are cooling. The wrong size air conditioner will use more electricity and increase your energy bills. A unit that is too large for a given area will cool the area too quickly, causing the air conditioner to frequently turn itself on and off. If a unit shuts off quickly, chances are it hasn't been running long enough to reduce the room's humidity and you will be uncomfortable. If your air conditioner is too small, it will run constantly on hot days without ever getting good results.